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What to do if your Samsung Galaxy Note 9 turned off and won’t turn on after an update

We’ve been asked many times on what to do if the phone just stopped responding and won’t turn on and we already published several articles that tackled this very issue. However, recently, some owners of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 contacted us because their devices reportedly stopped responding after the recent firmware update. Could this problem be caused by the new version of Android?

Read on to learn more about this problem and what you should do if this happens to you. In this article, I will walk you through in troubleshooting your Galaxy Note 9 that became unresponsive or won’t turn on. Let’s consider every possibility and rule them out one by one until we can determine what the problem is and solve it.

Before anything else, if you have other issues with your device, try to browse through our troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed several issues with this device. Odds are that we’ve already published a post that tackles similar problems. Try finding issues that have similar symptoms with what you currently have and feel free to use the solutions we’ve suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you still need our help, then fill up our questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

Here are two of the emails we received from our readers who asked for help…

Note 9 user complained about phone that won’t turn on after an update

Hi Droid Guy, I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and there has been an update recently. After the update, I was still able to use my phone for a day then it turned off and would no longer turn back on. It won’t even respond even if I connected it to its charger both wireless and wired. I badly need your help since it’s the only phone I have right now and I have a lot of contacts, pictures and files in it. What should I do? — Karen

Note 9 owner left phone charging overnight only to wake up with an unresponsive device

Hello. My name is Clarence and I need your help… badly. I left my Note 9 connected to its charger last night as it only has 5% battery left when I slept. This morning I thought the battery was full already but when I press the power key, the phone won’t turn on. It doesn’t have the charging symbol so I thought it has finished charging but it won’t respond to the charger. Should I already bring it to the shop?

Troubleshooting Galaxy Note 9 that won’t turn on

As long as  your phone doesn’t have any signs of either physical and liquid damage, you can make it respond again just by doing the troubleshooting steps below. Here’s what you need to do if your Note 9 no longer turns on either due to an update or if there’s no apparent reason at all…

Step 1: Perform the Forced Restart procedure

There is always a possibility that the reason why your Galaxy Note 9 no longer turns on or responds is because its firmware crashed. A System crash occurs from time to time but you can easily encounter it after a firmware update. It’s because some files and system cache may become corrupt when a new version of the firmware is installed.

In this case, the best thing to do is a forced restart. It’s a simulated battery pull procedure and would make your phone respond. Most of the issues like this can be fixed this method. Here’s how it’s done:

  • Press and hold the Volume Down and Power keys at the same time for 10 seconds or more.

If the phone boots up after this, then the problem is apparently fixed and it was just due to a system crash. However, if it still not responding, then you should do this method…

  1. Press and hold the volume down button and don’t release it.
  2. Press and hold the power key while holding down the volume down button.
  3. Keep both keys held down together for 10 seconds or more.

It’s basically the same as the previous procedure only that this time we’re making sure the volume down button is pressed and held before the power key because doing it otherwise won’t give you similar result.

Step 2: Connect your phone to charger and try doing the Forced Restart

Sometimes a mere battery draining issue can lead to another problem like a system crash. If you let the phone run out of battery, some services and hardware components aren’t shut down properly which may lead to some inconsistencies in the system which will result to a firmware crash. If this happens, your phone won’t respond even if you connect it to the charger. What you’re going to do is give your phone a stable power source and address the system crash issue while your phone is connected to that source. Here’s what you need to do…

  1. Connect your Galaxy Note 9 to its charger (it’s best to use the wired on in this case).
  2. Regardless whether the phone shows the charging symbol or not, leave it connected to the charger for 10 minutes or so.
  3. Press and hold the volume down button and don’t release it.
  4. Press and hold the power key while holding down the volume down button.
  5. Keep both keys held down together for 10 seconds or more.

If the problem was just due to a drained battery that resulted to a system crash, then it should already be booting up by now. However, if the phone is still not responding after this, then we could say that the problem could already be with the hardware. As far as troubleshooting is concerned, you’ve done what  your part so it’s now time for the tech to check it up for you. There’s only so much you can do about a phone that won’t turn on or boot up.

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We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.

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How to fix Garmin Fenix 5 Plus that won’t turn on

As long as there’s enough battery, your Garmin Fenix 5 Plus should turn on without any problems at all. However, there seems to be some users who have reported that their smartwatch no longer powers on. Power issues are among the most common problems any user may encounter every now and then.

In this post, I will walk you through in troubleshooting your Fenix 5 Plus that would no longer power on. I will share with you the most practical and effective troubleshooting procedures you can use in fixing this problem. So, if you’re one of the owners with this kind of problem, continue reading as this article may be able to help you.

Before we move on, if you are looking for a solution to a different problem, make sure to visit our Fenix 5 Plus troubleshooting page as we’ve already fixed some of the most common issues with this device. Find issues that are similar with yours and feel free to use our solutions. If you still need help after that, then fill up our questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

Here’s what you need to do if your Fenix 5 Plus no longer turns on…

  1. Perform the soft reset as it might be just a minor glitch.
  2. Try charging your smartwatch as it might be just due to a drained battery.
  3. Call support or bring the watch to the shop.

More often than not, performing the soft reset will fix your Fenix 5 Plus that won’t turn on as it’s often just a firmware glitch or crash. So it must be the first thing you need to do or just follow these steps:

  1. Connect the device to a computer via charging clip.
  2. Press and hold POWER/LIGHT button for 25 seconds or until device powers off.
  3. Press POWER/LIGHT to power unit back on.
  4. Charge battery to 100%.

If this fails, you have to call Garmin support or bring the phone to the shop so that a technician can check it up for you.

I hope that we’ve been able to help you fix the problem with your device. We would appreciate it if you helped us spread the word so please share this post if you found it helpful. Thank you so much for reading!

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What to do with your Garmin Vivosmart 4 that won’t turn on

Drained battery is one of the reasons why an electronic devices dependent on its battery won’t turn on. Some owners of the health tracker Garmin Vivosmart 4 took to online to ask for help from users who might have been able to encounter the issues wherein the device won’t turn on or respond even if it’s connected to the charger.

Health trackers, while they’ve proven themselves to be useful, run with their own operating system for firmware although most of them don’t have sophisticated system like smartphones do. Nevertheless, the hardware and the firmware must work together to make those devices work perfectly and if they don’t, then that could be the reason why your Vivosmart 4 no longer responds.

In this post, I will guide you on how to make your Garmin Vivosmart 4 that won’t turn on respond again. So, if you’re one of the owners of this health tracker, continue reading as this article may be able to help you.

For those who are looking for a solution to a different problem, drop in on our Garmin Vivosmart 4 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most common issues with this phone. Browse through the page to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you still need our help, contact us anytime through our questionnaire.

Now, going back to our troubleshooting, here’s what you should do if your Garmin Vivosmart 4 won’t turn on…

Charge the Vivosmart 4 for at least an hour

Based on reports for other owners, the most common reason why the Vivosmart 4 won’t turn on is because the battery has been completely drained or if you took it off for extended period of time. As a result, the tracker won’t turn on by when you wear it. Fortunately, the Vivosmart 4’s system isn’t that complicated to understand. It’s rather simple to make it respond again. Just properly connect it to its charger and then plug it into a computer. After a few minutes and the tracker doesn’t respond, just leave it connected to the computer for an hour or two.

Most of the time, this is the most effective solution to this kind of problem. However, if it continues to be unresponsive even after letting it charge for hours, then the problem could be with the hardware. It’s time you brought it to the shop or call Garmin support so you’ll be assisted. It might be a hardware issue and there’s only so much you can do about it.

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We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.

How to fix Samsung Galaxy Watch that won’t turn on

First off, if possible, do not let your Samsung Galaxy Watch drain its battery completely as that’s the most common cause that the device would no longer turn on or respond even if it’s connected to the charger. I’ve read a lot of complaints from online forums about this problem and only a few knew what to do when this actually happens. Many would resort to opening the device but it takes more than just removing the screws in front and back to open up this device. Others would also resort to listing their “defective” smartwatch up on eBay, which apparently won’t help.

In this post, I will share with you the most effective solutions you could try to fix this problem and bring your Galaxy Watch back to life. For the record, these solutions are basic procedures you may have done already and they don’t include opening the device or removing any of the screws that keep it in one piece. If you’re one of the owners of this device and are currently being bugged by a similar problem, continue reading as this post may be able to help you one way or another.

For those who are looking for a solution to a different problem, drop in on our Galaxy Watch troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most common issues with this phone. Browse through the page to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you still need our help, contact us anytime through our questionnaire.

Going back to our troubleshooting, here are the things you can do if your Galaxy Watch no longer turns on or responds…

  1. Place it on its charging dock and leave it for an hour or two.
  2. Connect the device to another power source.
  3. Clip it on the cradle but don’t connect the charger.
  4. Bring it to the service center.

Unless there are visible signs of physical damage or if the device was submerged in water for a very long time, then the problem could be minor or due to a drained battery. I am sure you’ve already tried charging it and it didn’t respond. However, if the battery was drained completely, it may take several minutes to respond. Some users even reported leaving their Galaxy Watch on the charging dock overnight only to find out in the morning when they woke up that the device was still insufficiently charged. It is supposed to be fully-charged in an hour or two but remember that it takes both the hardware and firmware to charge the Watch normally but with the battery completely drained, only the hardware will be left to replenish the battery and that would take some time to complete. But the thing is, this very simple procedure can fix this problem, it just takes time… well, all procedures do.

Assuming you’ve already left the device on its charging dock for several hours and you’re still not seeing improvements or signs of life, then try connecting the charger to a different power source. It may also help to connect the device to a computer and see if that makes it respond. There were cases wherein the screen turned on shortly after the device was connected to a laptop and the battery was still sufficiently charge. Just because your Watch doesn’t respond does not mean it has an empty battery. It could be just because of a firmware issue, a minor one.

Now, the next solution is the most popular among these procedures and it’s actually the most effective as many reported they’ve fixed their Galaxy Watch that won’t turn on just by doing this. All you need to do is clip your Watch to its cradle, don’t connect it to its charger and just let it sit for several hours or a day or two. You would only connect it when the screen turns on but until then, you just have to wait.

If none of these procedures work for you, then bring the device to the service center or sell it on eBay as “defective” and many would actually buy it if they knew that the only problem is that it won’t turn on. Don’t expect it to be sold for half its original price as no one would pay that much for a defective device.

I hope that this troubleshooting guide can help you fix the problem with your Samsung Galaxy Watch. Do let us know in the comment section what works for you or what you did to fix the problem with your device.

How to fix Xiaomi Pocophone F1 that won’t turn on

If your Xiaomi Pocophone F1 turned off by itself or got stuck on a black screen and won’t turn back on, then the problem could either be a minor one especially if it occurred without apparent reason or cause. However, if the phone got dropped on a hard surface or got wet and then this kind of problem started, you can almost expect it to be either physical or liquid damage. You should bring the device back to the shop or store if that’s the case.

But if you simply found the phone to be unresponsive, then there’s something you can do to try and make it respond again. In will share with you a couple of solutions that were proven effective in fixing issues like this so continue reading as this article may be able to help you one way or another.

Now, before anything else, if you have other issues with your phone, make sure you drop by our troubleshooting page for we have already provided solutions to hundreds of problems reported by our readers. Odds are that we may have already provided a solution to the problem you currently have so try to find issues that are similar with yours on that page and feel free to use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work or if you need further assistance, fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

Now, going back to our troubleshooting, here’s what you should do about this problem…

Solution 1: Perform the Forced Reboot procedure

It is a simulated battery removal and if the problem is caused by a firmware crash, then this is the only thing you must do to make your phone respond again. Any Android phone with non-removable batteries will respond to this procedure. This is how it’s done on your Pocophone F1:

  • Press and hold the power key and volume down button for 15 seconds or more.

If your phone boots up, then problem solved but if not, try doing the same procedure a few more times. If it’s still unresponsive after that, then try this…

  1. Press and hold the volume down button first and don’t let go.
  2. Press and hold the power key while holding down the volume down button.
  3. Keep both keys held down for 15 seconds or more.

If it’s still not responding after doing this, then try the next procedure.

Solution 2: Charge your phone and perform the Forced Reboot

Having a drained battery isn’t really a problem because most of the time any smartphone would respond when they’re connected to their chargers. However, there are times when a drained battery will lead to a firmware crash and if that happens, you would already be dealing with a couple of minor issues that both result to an unresponsive device. Thus, here’s what you should do about it…

  1. Connect your phone to its charger and make sure the charger is plugged into a working wall outlet.
  2. Regardless whether the phone charges or not, leave it connected to the charger for 10 minutes or so.
  3. Now, press and hold the volume down button and the power key simultaneously for 15 seconds or more.

Assuming the problem was due to a firmware crash caused by a drained battery, your Xiaomi Pocophone F1 should already be booting up by now. But if it’s still unresponsive, then it could be a hardware problem. You should bring it back to the store so a technician can check it up for you.

I hope that this how-to post has helped you one way or another. Please help us spread the word by sharing this post to your friends or people who may also have similar problems. Thanks for reading!

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We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.

How to fix Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro 2019 that won’t turn on (easy fix)

Released in January, the Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro 2018 is the companies contender to the entry-level smartphone market and just like its predecessors, this year’s J2 Pro already received quite a lot of positive reviews. It’s packed with a quad-core CPU and runs on Android 7.1 Nougat and clearly, it’s upgradeable to Android 8.0 Oreo, although we don’t have a clue at this moment when such upgrade would happen.

Some owners of this device reported to us saying their phones would no longer respond after they turned off. Which means that they would no longer power up for some reason. It could be just a minor issue with the firmware or it could be a sign that the phone is defective out of the box. We know a thing or two that could fix this problem but then again, there’s no guarantee. But if you’re one of the owners of this phone that’s currently bugged by a similar issue, continue reading as this post may help you.

Before we proceed, if you’re looking for a solution to a problem with your phone, try to browse through our troubleshooting pages to see if we support your device. If your phone is in the list of our supported devices, then go to the troubleshooting page and look for similar problems. Feel free to use our solutions and workarounds. Don’t worry it’s free. But if you still need our help, then fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

Fixing Galaxy J2 Pro 2018 that won’t turn back on


I always admire smartphones with removable batteries like the J2 Pro 2018 because issues like this can easily be fixed. But the thing is that if your phone has a removable battery, it means it doesn’t have the IP rating that makes a phone water- and dust-resistant. The J2 Pro 2018 is more prone to liquid damage than Samsung’s flagships and that’s one thing you should also be concerned of because if this problem started after the phone got splashed with any sort of liquid, then the problem might be more serious than it seems. But try to follow these steps to try and fix your phone…

  1. Remove the back cover of your phone.
  2. Pull the battery out.
  3. Remove your SIM card and SD card.
  4. Press and hold the Power key for a minute while the battery is out.
  5. Now, place the battery back it and secure it with the back cover.
  6. Attempt to turn your phone on.

If the device turns on after this, turn it off and then mount your SIM and SD cards because at this point, the problem is already fixed. The purpose of the procedure above is to refresh your phone’s memory which may have crashed for some reason. By pressing the Power key for a minute, you were actually draining electricity stored in capacitors, which has really good effects on your phone.

However, if the device doesn’t turn on after doing the procedure above, then try this…

  1. Plug the charger to a working AC outlet.
  2. Connect the phone to its charger using the original USB cable.
  3. Regardless whether the phone shows the charging symbol or not, leave it connected to its charger for at least 10 minutes.
  4. Now try to turn the phone on to see if it’s successful this time.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If the phone is heating up or overheating while it’s connected to its charger, then disconnect it immediately to prevent further damage. It’s possible that there’s a problem with its hardware or water may have caused the issue. You should bring it to the service center or back to the store where you bought it for checkup and/or replacement.

In the first procedure, we were trying to refresh your phone’s memory which is very effective it dealing with problems that were caused by system crash or a minor firmware glitch. The second is we were trying to make the phone boot up by giving it a stable power source because it’s always possible that the battery got drained that’s why the device no longer turns on.

I hope that you would be able to fix the problem with your Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro 2018 by doing one of the procedures above. If the phone still refuses to turn of after doing all this, then you should bring it back to the store to have it replaced. There’s no point in troubleshooting a brand new phone.

How to fix Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge that won’t bootup or turn on after a firmware update [Troubleshooting Guide]

We received a lot of complaints from our readers who own the #Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (#S7Edge) and one of the most common issues is that the phone would no longer bootup or power on after a firmware update. So, a question about whether or not to update the phone was raised and of course, we have to investigate this as it seems to be a very serious firmware issue, although some cases may have been caused by hardware problems.

galaxy-s7-edge-black-screen-wont-turn-on-boot-up

First off, I want to put a clear distinction between the terms “booting up” and “powering on” to avoid confusion. When you say the phone isn’t booting up, it actually powers on but it can’t successfully load everything and reach the Home screen. Most of the time, the device is stuck on the logo or the black screen after that. Boot loop is also a part of this problem because of the time the logo is farthest the phone can reach before it restarts.

When you say the phone isn’t turning on, it means that there’s no sign of power whatsoever. The device won’t respond when you press and hold the Power key or any other buttons for that matter, although a combination of buttons may bring the phone back to life provided that the problem is a minor issue with the firmware and not with the hardware.

Read on to understand more about these issues and learn how to fix them or, at least, troubleshoot your Galaxy S7 Edge in case one of these may happen to you. If you have other problems, however, make sure you visit our S7 Edge troubleshooting page for we have already addressed a lot of problems that occurred with this device. We may already have a solution to your problem so try to find issues that are similar to yours. On the other hand, if you need further assistance, you can always contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire.

Troubleshooting Galaxy S7 Edge that won’t boot up successfully after an update

The booting up issue is the first I want to tackle in this post because more often, it’s firmware-related. Below are some troubleshooting steps you can actually use to see if you can fix the problem on your own without any help from a technician or your provider. But before that, here’s one of the problems we received.

Related Problem: My Galaxy S7 Edge just got updated and I thought everything went well but after a few days, I noticed the phone seemed to have slowed down noticeably and after that it shut off. When I tried turning it back on, it just stays on the black screen after the logo. Turning it off and then on again will result to the same thing. Can you guys help me out here? What can I do to fix this problem and I’m also curious as to what caused it? Thanks a lot!

As our reader said the S7 Edge’s performance noticeably deteriorated before it actually turned itself off and got stuck on the black screen after the logo appears on the screen. It’s actually a typical “stuck during boot up” issue and while it seems minor based on the description, there were reports about the same problem that are more complicated than this one. Therefore, we need to troubleshoot the device thoroughly and not just based on the problem I cited here.

Step 1: Verify it’s not just an issue with any of your downloaded apps

There are cases wherein the phone gets stuck during boot up as soon as the update gets installed and there many also reported to have used their devices for a few days before the problem started. But whatever the case is, the safest thing to do while you’re still trying to find out what the culprit is is to isolate the problem but restarting the device in Safe Mode. In this state, the device will run at default settings with only pre-installed apps and built-in services running in the background. In other words, all third-parties will be temporarily disabled.

The other term for Safe Mode is diagnostic state wherein you can immediately know if the problem is with pre-installed apps, firmware or downloaded apps.

If the problem still occurs even in safe mode, then it’s either a problem with the pre-installed app or the firmware itself, otherwise, the third-party apps have to be looked into. You need to find out which app is actually causing the problem and uninstall it, although it’s really difficult to determine which one is the culprit. But anyway, here are the steps on how to boot your Galaxy S7 Edge in safe mode:

  1. Press and hold the Power key.
  2. As soon as you can see the ‘Samsung Galaxy S7 EDGE’ on the screen, release the Power key and immediately hold the Volume Down key.
  3. Continue holding the Volume Down button until the device finishes rebooting.
  4. You may release it when you can see ‘Safe mode’ in the bottom left corner of the screen.

The purpose of this procedure is actually to know whether your phone can boot up successfully and if so, try booting it up normally and if that doesn’t make any difference, boot it up in this state again and this time, find the apps that are causing the issue.

On the other hand, if the phone cannot boot in safe mode successfully, the next step is necessary.

Step 2: Try booting the phone in Recovery Mode and wipe the cache partition

This procedure must be done if the phone still cannot boot up normally after getting out of safe mode or if it cannot start up in that state. The problem might be in the cache because it occurred after an update. More often, the system cache gets corrupted during the update process and if it continues to use it, issues like this occur.

When it happens, you should delete the system cache so that Android will be forced to create new files that will replace them. So, here’s how you boot your S7 Edge in Recovery Mode and wipe the cache partition:

  1. Turn off the phone.
  2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
  4. When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
  5. Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
  6. Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
  7. Now highlight the option ‘Yes’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
  8. Wait until your phone is finished wiping the cache partition. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
  9. The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

If the phone gets stuck during boot up still, then you have no other choice but to do the next step.

Step 3: Boot your phone in Recovery Mode again and do the Master Reset

For firmware issues, this is a very effective procedure as it doesn’t just delete your apps, data and files, it also reformats the entire data partition where system files are saved. In that effect, no corrupt will be left behind that’s why it’s imperative you do this step before deciding to send the phone for checkup and/or repair. Here’s how you do the master reset:

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
  2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key. NOTE: It doesn’t matter how long you press and hold the Home and Volume Up keys, it won’t affect the phone but by the time you press and hold the Power key, that’s when the phone starts to respond.
  3. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
  4. When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds. NOTE: The “Installing system update” message may show on the screen for several seconds before displaying the Android system recovery menu. This is just the first phase of the entire process.
  5. Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
  6. Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
  7. Now highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
  8. Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
  9. The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

If the reset fails, then visit a local shop or go to your provider and have it taken care of.

Troubleshooting Galaxy S7 Edge that won’t turn on after an update

If the phone refuses to come back on after being updated, it could mean that the firmware installed on it is totally corrupt, damaged or lacking many files. However, there is also a possibility that it’s a hardware problem and it’s just a coincidence that the problem occurred after the firmware update. With those things under consideration, follow the steps below in troubleshooting your device but before that, here’s one of the problems we received related to the issue at hand.

Related Problem: I hope you guys are doing well as I really need your help. I bought the S7 Edge several months ago and while I was satisfied with its performance before, I’m very disappointed now and it ceases to work already. There was an update that got installed then the phone turned off and won’t power back on no matter what I do. I need your advice on this please. Thanks.

Step 1: Verify that it’s not just a problem caused by a system crash

The firmware works hand-in-hand with the hardware but there are times the former crashes and when it happens, both of them may suffer. Being unresponsive is just one of those symptoms. Since the Galaxy S7 Edge doesn’t have a removable battery, you cannot just do the battery pull trick just like old models.

Samsung engineers, however, already thought of this so they included a combination that will simulate battery disconnect. That’s what you need to to do rule out the possibility of a system crash. To do that, the press and hold the Volume Down button and the Power key together for 10 seconds. If there’s enough battery and that there’s no actual damage to the hardware, the phone should reboot.

Step 2: Charge the phone to make sure the battery has enough charge

It’s a power-related issue so you immediately need to rule out the possibility that the battery only got drained that’s why the phone won’t turn on even just after a firmware update.

Aside from that, you can also immediately tell if the firmware detects the phone being connected to the charger because if so, it should show the usual charging signs like the charging icon on the screen and the red or green LED on top of the screen. If none of those show up, then try a different charger and if still no, then you might be looking at a possible hard-bricked phone. Your last chance is to send the phone for repair.

If you’re verified it’s not a battery issue and that the phone actually responds while charging but the device still won’t turn on, then try to wipe the cache partition but first you need to boot your phone in recovery mode. If that fails as well, then the reset is also necessary provided the phone turns on. Lastly, you need a real technician to get it fix if the problem remains.

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How to fix your Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus with Black Screen of Death (easy steps)

The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus comes packed with really impressive hardware specs and impressive features but just like any other smartphones, there would always come a time that an issue may occur. Since we started providing free support to our readers, we’ve encountered thousands of issues already and among the most common are related to the capability of the phone to turn on or boot up, which includes the Black Screen of Death (BSoD).

The BSoD is characterized by blank and unresponsive screen which leaves an impression that the phone has turned itself off and would no longer turn on. However, based on our experience, the device may actually still be powered on that if you make a call to your own number or send a message to it, you may hear the device ring but the screen would still stay black and unresponsive. The problem may also affect the phone’s capability to charge so if you connect it to its charger, it won’t respond.

In this post, I will tackle this problem with the Galaxy S9+ being the subject of our troubleshooting. If you’re one of the owners of this device and are currently bugged by a similar issue, continue reading as it may be able to help you one way or another.

Before going further, if you found this post because you were trying to find a solution to your problem, then try to visit our Galaxy S9 Plus troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed most of the commonly reported issues with the phone. We’ve already provided solutions to some of the problems reported by our readers so try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you and if you need further assistance, fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit.

How to fix Galaxy S9 Plus with Black Screen of Death


I will share with you the solution that we’ve always been using to make your phone respond again. While we’re always tempted to think that if the phone has BSoD, the problem could be in the hardware but most of the time it’s not. In fact, the problem is more on the firmware side than hardware. Needless to say, you can fix it on your own without any help from someone. With all that being said, here’s what I suggest you do about this:

Do the Forced Reboot

If you’re familiar with battery pull procedure we often do to phones with removable batteries, well this is its counterpart but you can only do this to phones with non-removable batteries like the S9 Plus.

  • Press and hold the volume down button and the power keys at the same time for 10 seconds or more.

The combination is hard-wired in your phone so it will respond to it as long as it’s done correctly. If your phone still doesn’t respond to it, try doing it a couple more times to make sure or you may try these steps:

  1. Press and hold the volume down button and don’t release it.
  2. Press and hold the power key while holding down the volume down button.
  3. Keep both keys held down for 10 seconds or more.

It’s basically the same as the first procedure only that we’re making sure you’re pressing the volume down button first before the power key because doing otherwise won’t result to a Forced Reboot and your device may still not respond. After making sure you’re doing it right but your device still doesn’t work, then try the alternative solution.

Alternative Solution

It’s also possible the battery got completely drained and the phone hasn’t shut itself off properly and such may result to a system crash. In case of a firmware crash, the phone won’t respond to whatever you do with it now imagine what would happen if the crash is accompanied with a drained battery.

To rule out this possibility, here’s what you need to do about it…

  1. Plug the charger to a working AC outlet.
  2. Connect the phone using the original cable (I highly recommend you use the wired charger).
  3. Regardless whether the phone shows the charging signs or not, leave it connected to its charger for at least ten minutes.
  4. Now, press and hold the volume down button and the power keys at the same time for 10 seconds or more but this time while the device is connected to its charger.

These solutions are more than enough to fix minor problems with the firmware or even the hardware. However, if your Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is still not responding after doing all of this, then you should send it back to the store for the tech to check it up for you. You should negotiate for a replacement in case the problem continues.

I hope that our solutions work for you. If there are other things you want to share with us, feel free to contact us anytime or leave a comment in the section below.

Connect with us

We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.

How to fix Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus that won’t turn on [Troubleshooting Guide]

A few days after the Samsung Galaxy S8+ was released in the global market, we’ve already started to receive complaints about some units that won’t turn on or became unresponsive. We know how frustrating that could be considering all the hype that surrounded the phone’s tech specs and how surpasses its competitors when it comes to muscle power. There were also some of our readers who were no concern of the specs of the phone but they were more worried considering the price of the device.

So, in this post, I will walk you through in troubleshooting your Galaxy S8+ that won’t turn on a few days after it was activated. We just have to find out if we can fix the issue on our own without lining up in the store just to be able to talk to a tech. While this problem seems complicated, more often than not, it’s due to a glitch in either the firmware or hardware. I understand the phone is still brand new so we just have to do the basic and have the device replaced if the problem persists.

Now, before we go to troubleshooting, if you are currently experiencing a different problem, try to visit our troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most common issues owners encountered with their device. Find issues that are similar to yours and feel free to use our solutions or troubleshooting guides. If they don’t work, however, and if you need further assistance, contact us by completing our Android issues questionnaire. All we need is information so we can help you. Don’t worry, it’s free.

Step-by-step guide to troubleshooting Galaxy S8+ that won’t turn on

The purpose of this troubleshooting guide is for us to know what the problem is all about, what caused it and what needs to be done to fix it. While the procedures here are all safe, if you are not comfortable troubleshooting your brand new device, then seek assistance from the tech. However, for those who are willing to do something about the problem, then follow these steps…

Step 1: Perform the Forced Reboot / Soft Reset procedure

We often refer to this procedure as Forced Reboot but other technicians may call it Soft Reset and basically, it’s the safest and most logical thing to do for your phone that won’t turn on as it actually just reboots your phone. It is equal to the battery pull procedure we do to phones with removable battery. It can also be called as “simulated battery disconnect” procedure because that’s what it actually does.

  • Press and hold the Volume down and Power keys together for 7 seconds.

Assuming the problem is as minor as a glitch or an app-related problem, then this procedure should be enough to bring your phone back to life. If successful, continue your observation and if the same problem happens again and can still be fixed by this same procedure, it’s not a simple glitch. You may do the factory reset or bring the phone back to the store and have it checked just to be sure. But as to working around the S8 Plus that won’t turn on, then this method helps.

Step 2: Try to charge the phone to know if it responds

Assuming you did the forced reboot procedure but the phone didn’t respond, it’s possible that the battery was all drained and that there’s not enough battery left to power up the components and load the operating system. Therefore, it’s logical to charge your phone for a few minutes.

Aside from knowing if the phone has a low battery, this simple method will also tell you if the phone has a problem with its battery or hardware because the charging signs may not show. Usually, the charging icon will be displayed on the screen the moment the phone detects electric current flowing through its circuits going to its battery and the LED indicator at the top of the screen will also be lit up. If these signs don’t show, it’s possible your phone is suffering from a serious hardware issue.

Assuming, however, that the phone is charging fine, attempt to turn the phone on normally and if it still refuses to do so, do the Forced Reboot procedure while the phone is plugged in as it’s possible the system crashed when the phone was about to lose the charge. If it won’t respond but charges, then move on to the next step.

Step 3: Attempt to boot your phone in Safe mode

We have to know if your Samsung Galaxy S8+ is still capable of booting up in other modes. So, the first thing we have to do is try to boot it in safe mode wherein all third-party apps are temporarily disabled. If it does boot up fine, then it’s confirmed one or some of the apps is causing the problem. Now, here are the steps on how to boot your phone in safe mode:

  1. Turn the device off.
  2. Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen.
  3. When “SAMSUNG” appears on the screen, release the Power key.
  4. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
  5. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
  6. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
  7. Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.

While in this mode, try to find out which app is causing the problem by uninstalling those you suspect. This is how you uninstall an app from your Galaxy S8+…

  1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
  4. Tap the desired application.
  5. Tap Uninstall.
  6. Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

Assuming the phone cannot boot up in safe mode, it’s time to try to boot it up in other mode.

Step 4: Attempt to boot your phone up in Recovery mode

We simply have to know if the phone is capable of doing so because if it does, it’s clear enough the phone is suffering from a firmware issue. In which case, the best thing you can do try to reset your phone before you send it in for replacement or further tests. Follow the steps below to start S8 Plus in Recovery mode and do the master reset:

  1. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
  2. When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  3. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe data / factory reset.
  4. Press Power button to select.
  5. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  6. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  7. When the master reset is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
  8. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Now, even if you’ve been able to bring the phone back to life, if it doesn’t work as smooth as before, it’s best you bring it back to the store and have it replaced rather than dealing the problem for years.

Connect with us

We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.

Samsung Galaxy J3 gets stuck on boot screen after rebooting [Troubleshooting Guide]

  • Read and understand why your Samsung Galaxy J3 can sometimes get stuck on the boot screen and learn how to troubleshoot it when it happens.

Getting stuck on the boot screen could be a sign of a serious firmware issue, however, based on our experiences, there are cases wherein the phone cannot boot up successfully and end up getting stuck on the logo or black screen during the boot up process due to apps that crash. The point is, we really don’t know what’s happening with your phone if it won’t continue booting up to the home screen. This is the reason why we need to troubleshoot your phone.

So, in this post, I will tackle this problem with the Samsung Galaxy J3 being the subject of our troubleshooting. We will try to look into each possibility and rule out each of them until we can pinpoint what the problem with your phone is. That way, it would easier to fix it and make it start successfully again. So, if you own this amazing device and are currently bugged by a similar problem, continue reading below to know what to do.

Before we jump right into our troubleshooting, if you have other issues, drop by our Galaxy J3 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed many issues with this phone since we started supporting it. Try to find problems that are similar with yours and use the troubleshooting procedures or solutions we suggested. Should you need further assistance from us, fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit. Don’t worry, it’s free.

Step-by-step guide to troubleshooting Galaxy J3 that’s stuck on the boot screen

Problem: Hello droid guys. I have a Galaxy J3 smartphone I bought online for a fair price. It’s been like 4 or 5 months since I got it ever since, I never encountered issues with it until recently when it decided to reboot on its own. I’m not really a tech guy so I don’t know what happened to it. It just rebooted on its own while I was using and when it finally started to boot up, it got stuck on a black screen after the Samsung logo. Sometimes it gets stuck on the logo but most of the time, it’s just black screen. I am hoping that you guys can help me out to bring the phone back to life. Thanks.

Troubleshooting: As I said earlier, this problem could be the doing of some of the apps you installed or it’s a sign of a more serious firmware problem. Let us try to rule out one possibility after another because while this problem seems complex, more often, it’s not and hopefully we can fix it with the steps below.

Step 1: Try to do the soft reset to find out if it can make a difference

There are times when apps and the firmware glitch and when it happens, a lot of things can happen and more often, they’re performance-related. It includes apps crashing, phone lagging and freezing, random and frequent reboots and this–getting stuck on boot screen.

These glitches can be fixed by a simple reboot procedure and we want you to do that, which I think, you already did. If the reboot doesn’t fix the problem, then you should do the soft reset. Don’t worry, it’s a very simple procedure to do. You just have to remove the back cover and then pull the battery out. While the battery is out, press and hold the Power key for a minute. This will drain all stored electricity in some of the components inside and refresh the phone’s memory.

After which, place the back in and then the back cover. Just make sure the battery is properly inserted with connectors touching each other. Lastly, try to turn the phone on and see if it can boot up successfully.

Step 2: Try to reboot  your phone in Safe mode to see if third-party apps caused it

Now, we’re in the point wherein we need to rule out the possibility that one or some of the third-party apps is causing the problem. The rationale behind this procedure is this: if the problem is caused by a third-party app, then your J3 should be able to boot up in safe mode successfully considering the fact that third-party elements won’t be loaded during boot up. So, here’s how you start your Galaxy J3 in safe mode:

  1. Power off your Galaxy J3. Press and hold the Power key, tap Power off and then touch POWER OFF to confirm.
  2. Press and hold the Power key past the screen with the device name.
  3. When ‘SAMSUNG’ appears on the screen, release the Power key.
  4. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
  5. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
  6. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
  7. Release the Volume down key when you see ‘Safe Mode’.

Now, if the phone successfully started up in this mode, then our suspicion that at least a third-party causes the problem is confirmed. In that case, move on to the next step, otherwise, jump to step 4.

Step 3: Find the app that’s causing the problem and uninstall it

You only have to do this if your phone has successfully started up in Safe mode because it means that one or some of the third-party app you installed or downloaded from the Play Store is causing the problem. All you gotta do is find it and then uninstall it. I suggest you begin your search from apps you installed when the problem started. Once you already have a suspect, follow these steps to uninstall it:

  1. From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap Applications.
  4. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap Menu icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
  5. Tap Uninstall.
  6. Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

If this doesn’t work or if your phone cannot boot in safe mode, then move on to the next step.

Step 4: Try booting up your phone in Recovery mode and wipe cache partition

This procedure will delete all system caches but they will actually be replaced with new ones, so you’re not just deleting them. The point is, this procedure is very important because it makes sure the caches the firmware uses are not corrupt or obsolete.

I’m not sure if your Galaxy J3 received a firmware update because you said it just rebooted on its own after that, it could no longer continue to the home screen. Firmware updates have a tendency to corrupt caches and when it happens, performance issues may occur. So, you need to rule out the possibility that this problem is caused by some of the caches that got corrupted. Here’s how you do it:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the device logo screen displays, release only the Power key.
  4. When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  5. Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight ‘wipe cache partition’.
  6. Press the Power key to select.
  7. Press the Volume down key to highlight ‘yes’ and press the Power key to select.
  8. When the wipe cache partition is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
  9. Press the Power key to restart the device.

It may take a few more seconds than usual before the phone becomes active so if the phone cannot immediately boot up, just wait a little longer. But 3 minutes is long enough to know if the phone is still stuck on the boot screen or not. So, if it cannot reach the home screen in 3 minutes, it may still be stuck.

Step 5: Make a backup of your important files and data and reset your phone

After doing the previous steps and the phone still cannot continue booting up, then it’s time to just backup your files and data and bring the phone back to its factory default settings. I suggest you reset it through the Recovery mode as both the cache and data partitions will be reformatted so it’s more thorough than the reset via Settings menu. However, make sure you know your Google ID and password as you may be locked out of your phone after the reset if you don’t. Better yet, disable the Factory Reset Protection (FRP) but following these steps:

  1. From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap Cloud and accounts.
  4. Tap Accounts.
  5. Tap Google.
  6. Tap your Google ID email address. If you have multiple accounts setup, you will need to repeat these steps for each account.
  7. Tap Menu.
  8. Tap Remove account.
  9. Tap REMOVE ACCOUNT.

Now, to reset your phone via Android system recovery, follow these steps:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the device logo screen displays, release only the Power key
  4. When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  5. Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
  6. Press Power button to select.
  7. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  8. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  9. When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
  10. Press the Power key to restart the device.

I hope the problem gets fixed by one of these steps but if it won’t, then it’s time you brought the phone to a shop and have the tech take a look at it for you.

How to troubleshoot Galaxy J3 that keeps freezing, lagging and gets stuck on the logo

Problem: It’s been a year now that I bought this cheap phone when my Galaxy S5 was lost. It’s the J3; it was cheap and a really good replacement phone. Well anyways, I was planning to buy a new but this phone never gave up on me and it was working really great for a year. Then, it started to freeze, lag and just yesterday, it can no longer reach the home screen. I didn’t expect much from it and I thought it might be time to buy a new one but I just want it to work just in case I’m gonna need it again. So can you help me? Thank you.

Troubleshooting: It is clear enough that your phone’s performance was the one that suffered from this issue. First, it slowed down and then this–stuck on the boot screen. While the Galaxy J3 has received positive review for its specs despite being an entry-level device, we can already expect it to slow down after months of use and that’s what happened. So, here’s what I suggest you do about it:

Step 1: Find out immediately if third-party apps have something to do with it

We need to know how the phone behaves when all third-party apps are disabled that’s why it’s imperative you start your phone up in safe mode. Now, if the phone successfully boots up in this mode, it is almost certain third-party apps caused the problem especially if the freezes and the lags disappeared.

In this case, finding the app that’s causing the problem and uninstalling it would be your best bet but I know it sounds easier than said. So, try to find suspects starting from the apps you installed shortly prior to the freezing and lagging.

If backing up your data and files and doing the reset is a lot quicker and easier for you, then you should do it for as long as the phone has successfully booted up in safe mode. Reset your device via the Settings menu, here’s how…

  1. Back up data on the internal memory. If you have signed into a Google account on the device, you have activated Anti-theft and will need your Google credentials to finish the Master reset.
  2. From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Tap Cloud and accounts.
  5. Tap Backup and restore.
  6. If desired, tap Back up my data to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  7. If desired, tap Restore to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  8. Tap the back key twice to return to the Settings menu, then tap General Management.
  9. Tap Reset.
  10. Tap Factory data reset.
  11. Tap Reset device.
  12. If you have screen lock turned on, enter your PIN or password.
  13. Tap Continue.
  14. Tap Delete all.

However, if the phone cannot boot up in safe mode, then the next might help.

Step 2: Attempt to boot your phone in Recovery mode

We simply want to know if it’s still capable of booting up in this mode because it can, then we are almost sure the problem can be fixed. You just have to try wiping the cache partition and if that won’t then you must go with the reset. Of course, your files and data won’t be backed up so it’s up to you if you want to go with it bring the phone to the tech.

I hope this troubleshooting guide can help you.

Connect with us

We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.

How to fix Galaxy S7 no signal or no cellular data issue, other issues

S7

In case you have a similar #GalaxyS7 no signal issue, we decided to dedicate a portion of this post for it. Although circumstances may vary, a no signal or cellular data issue can have more or less the same set of potential solutions. We hope that the short guide on what to do about this issue can help our Android community.

Below are other issues discussed in this material today:

  1. Facebook app unable to view or select pages, notifications intermittently
  2. Galaxy S7 keyboard not working | Galaxy S7 stuck in Samsung logo screen
  3. Galaxy S7 cannot send and receive MMS
  4. How to fix Galaxy S7 no signal or no cellular data issue
  5. Premium SMS not working on stock Samsung Galaxy S7 messaging app

If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page, or you can install our free app from Google Play Store.

When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.

Problem #1: Facebook app unable to view or select pages, notifications intermittently

The fault is in the Facebook app & is intermittent. I am unable to select & view notifications, groups, pages etc. I have unistalled & reinstalled the app, cleared data & caches & force stop. All of these resolve the problem but only temporarily as it returns. The problem is occurring 3 or 4 times a day. My phone is only 6 weeks old & the problem has been happening for approximately 2 weeks. — Linda

Solution: Hi Linda. There’s only so much that you can do for a recurring app problem. If wiping an app’s cache and data and a complete re-installation won’t work, that’s probably because of a third party app interfering with it. Consider doing a factory reset and observing how Facebook app works without the other apps installed. After a factory reset, use Facebook for 24 hours so you will see a difference. Be sure not to install other applications during the observation period.

For reference, here are the steps on how to do a factory reset:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
  • Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  • When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
  • When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
  • Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
  • Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
  • Now highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
  • Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
  • The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

Be reminded that factory reset will wipe everything in your phone’s primary storage device. Make sure that you create a backup of your files before proceeding.

Now, if Facebook app works just fine after a factory reset, that’s an indication that there may be a firmware glitch behind, or that a third party app is messing up with it when installed. Because there’s no surgical way to identify which of your third party apps may be to blame, you have to use elimination and trial-and-error methods to isolate it. The best way to do that is by observing how things work after you install one app. It may take some time but this is the only effective way.

On the other hand, if Facebook app remains buggy even after a factory reset, the issue may be beyond your ability to fix. The app or your carrier’s firmware may be improperly coded, resulting to the bugs you’re experiencing. Try to let Facebook know about the issue or contact your carrier so they can consult their developer team to fix it.

Problem #:2 Galaxy S7 keyboard not working | Galaxy S7 stuck in Samsung logo screen

About 2-3 months ago, the Samsung keyboard app that came with my Samsung Galaxy S7 (MetroPCS carrier rides on T-Mobile network) stopped working. That is all that the error message said “Samsung Keyboard stopped working.” I tried to restart. No joy.

I’m an old lady so I don’t know how to save my numerous contacts in my phone short of sitting down and writing them out by hand. So I didn’t want to factory reset if I could avoid it. I asked my son to help me. He downloaded the Swift Keyboard that he found at the Google Play Store. I used this until 4 days ago when I received an error message from Avast mobile protection stating that I needed to delete this app as it was going to harm my phone.

I downloaded the Swype and Dragon Trial Keyboard app due to the good reviews, also from Google Play Store. My phone stopped working around 10pm last night. The battery seemed to drain with little to no use in 2 hours and then about 4 a.m. it stopped working. I turned it on and it opened to the Samsung Galaxy page but then it stopped there. No access to any apps, screens, etc only this title page.

HELP. I can’t even factory reset at this point. — Nikki

Solution: Hi Nikki. There can be numerous reasons why a phone gets stuck in a Samsung logo page and won’t load normally. Sometimes, it can be a bad hardware, though most of the time, it’s just a software malfunction. We don’t know the full history of your device so we can’t give an accurate diagnosis but one of the most effective ways to force the phone to boot back normally is factory reset via hardware buttons. Simply follow the steps we give to Linda above so you can try this method.

If your phone won’t even boot to recovery mode (where you’ll be given the option to do a factory reset), you can also try to restart the phone in download mode. In this environment, you don’t have the same options as recovery mode but you can still make the phone boot back normally by manually installing a stock or custom operating system or ROM. Just like factory reset though, this procedure will delete everything stored in your phone’s storage device. If you want to go this route, try to use Google to search for instructions on how to flash a ROM on your S7.

Flashing is NOT a risk-free procedure. If you commit an improper step, there’s a chance that you can convert your S7 into an expensive paperweight. For example, ROM or firmware versions are distinct and carrier specific, which means that you can’t use a Verizon ROM for your T-Mobile or MetroPCS device. Doing so may result to an entirely different problem that we don’t want to discuss here. What we’re saying is that you need to know exactly what you’re doing if you want to modify your phone’s software. We know this must be too much for you but a good rule of thumb is, if you’re unsure, find someone who can help you do it.

Also, keep in mind that an issue like yours can also be caused by hardware error or even by a broken button. Although there’s no way to know that for sure unless you open and do advanced hardware diagnostics, it’s still a possibility. The best course of action that you can do though is to simply call your carrier or Samsung and ask them for a replacement unit. You may still lose your personal data but it will spare you from the hassles of doing advanced solutions.

Problem #3: Galaxy S7 cannot send and receive MMS

I’m having a problem w/ my Messaging app on my Android. When using Messaging, I cannot send or receive pictures. I can send/receive text messages just fine – but no pics. When I try, it just says “Unfortunately, Messaging has stopped.”

Here are a few things – some tips via your website – I have tried but to no avail:

  1. I have deleted all text messages. It wiped out all my text messages, as expected, but didn’t solve the problem.
  2. I cleared the cache and data within the Messaging app. (Though I notice it clears to 000 but goes back to 76.00KB soon after – is that normal?)
  3. I checked for any system updates and ran these.
  4. I started under Safe Mode to see if the problem persisted and if it could be third-party app related, but the problem remained.

I don’t want to do a factory reset. I don’t want to lose all my contacts, pics etc.

I should mention that I can send/receive pics just fine using WhatsApp so the problem is limited to Messaging apps. I tried to use another message app called Messaging Plus but like Messaging, that didn’t allow the sending/receiving of pictures either.

Any suggestions other than the factory reset?

Please help. Please? — Manuela

Solution: Hi Manuela. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Hangouts and similar apps are using a different system to send and receive messages. They don’t need to go through your carrier’s SMS and MMS network in order to work. That they work fine on your device is an indication that the cause of the problem is either due to a problem with your account, network, or standard messaging apps.

If you have a GSM-based phone, try to insert your SIM card to another phone to see if you can send your number an MMS. Doing a test sending will tell you if sending and receiving are working on your account. If the issue remains on a different phone, be sure to call your carrier so they can check if there is any network or account problem that prevents you from sending and receiving MMS.

On the other hand, if test sending works fine on another device, the problem must be on your Galaxy S7 configuration, particularly the APN settings. Contact your carrier and ask for assistance on how to configure your device’s APN.

Problem #4: How to fix Galaxy S7 no signal or no cellular data issue

The phone will not receive any service or data at all. I have done a factory reset, checked into mobile network but the network LTE setting is just shaded and i am unable to change it. There is no APN at all. There is no Wi-Fi at my house so the phone has been changed to cellular preferred calling. Wi-Fi calling is disabled. There is a new enabled SIM card.

I’ve called T-Mobile tech support and Samsung tech support and neither solved the solution. Please help me. I’d rather fix the phone than let my father get an iPhone. I’ve been told that he updated the phone and within a minute the phone lost 90% of its battery and shut off. It did this twice and stopped receiving data thing morning. — Troy

Solution: Hi Troy. We can’t see the logic of an update causing a phone to lose cellular connectivity but if this is the only change you’ve done prior to experiencing the problem, the loss of signal may either be pure  coincidence, or an update bug. To fix the issue, kindly try the following solutions below:

  1. Insert your SIM card to another LTE capable phone to check if it gets a signal.
  2. Try using another T-Mobile SIM card and insert it to your S7. if this other SIM receives a signal, the SIM card may be defective. Try to call T-Mobile  so you can process a SIM replacement.
  3. Restart the phone and check again if LTE option under Network settings is enabled. If it remains greyed out, or if you are unable to add or edit the APN, the problem may be firmware-related. This means that the update has either disabled some features and functions, or is simply corrupted. Call your carrier and ask for a replacement phone.
  4. Call T-Mobile and verify if your account is in good standing, or free from any billing-related restrictions that may prevent LTE service to work. There may be some account changes that you’re not aware of. If you are not the one paying for your account, make sure to check if the person in charge switches your data plan to another or if there are blocks and restrictions in place. You also want to know if there are any outages in the area at this time.
  5. If all these things won’t fix the issue, consider asking for a phone replacement.

Problem #5: Premium SMS not working on stock Samsung Galaxy S7 messaging app

Premium SMS would not send in Samsung messenger app. However, I have been able to send them through 3rd party apps. Permissions to enable this feature do not appear in applications manager. After clearing data and cache and rebooting, all the previous settings and messages are still there. Please help.me resolve this issue. Thanks! — Nicky

Solution: Hi Nicky. Premium SMS are subject to agreements between your wireless carrier and a third party. If it doesn’t work when you’re using the standard messaging app, that’s probably because your carrier blocks it, does not allow such type of SMS on their network, or the stock messaging app does not support it. There is no device-specific setting/s that you can change to make it work.  Contact your carrier and learn more about the issue via its customer support.

 

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